Red Hat announced that it is updating its Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) royalty model to a scalable model, which is expected to affect all Red Hat resellers across the market. In response to Red Hat’s price changes, Azure will also be rolling out price changes for all Red Hat Enterprise Linux instances. These changes started occurring on April 1, 2024, with price decreases for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and RHEL for SAP Business Applications licenses for vCPU sizes less than 12. All other price updates will be effective July 1, 2024. Read the blog for more details.
Azure Monitor VM Insights Dependency Agent support for RHEL 8.6 Linux VMs
Azure Monitor VM Insights now supports Dependency Agent for RHEL 8.6 Linux VMs, enabling you to monitor their network connections and processes in the Azure portal.
Azure IoT Edge supports Ubuntu Core Snaps
We announced that, in collaboration with Canonical, we addressed a longstanding request from our shared customers to support Ubuntu Core Snaps in Azure IoT Edge. The Tier 1 supported operating systems for Azure IoT Edge were expanded to include Ubuntu Core Snaps on AMD 64 and ARM 64. This expansion not only broadened the horizons for Azure IoT Edge applications, but also ensured seamless integration and development across a wider range of devices and systems. For more details, see documentation on Azure IoT Edge documentation.
End of support for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS for Batch pools
Batch pools with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS VM images and the Batch node agent SKU batch.node.ubuntu 20.04 will no longer be supported in Batch after 23 April 2025. If you are impacted, learn what required action you need to take and how you can get help and support if needed.
New features for Azure Linux
We’ve recently released new features for Azure Linux, including OSsku in-place migration which enables you to trigger a node image upgrade from one Linux distro to another on an existing nodepool. Read the blog from to learn about the latest Azure Linux features, upcoming feature features, and ways to stay connected with the Azure Linux team.
What’s new with Azure and open source
New documentation for capturing real-time insights (in just one click!) from your AKS cluster using Inspektor Gadget
We recently published new documentation outlining common use cases of how you can troubleshoot and debug your AKS cluster using the CNCF sandbox project, Inspektor Gadget. The documentation features a one-click experience where you can deploy Inspektor Gadget on an AKS cluster and easily experiment with the gadgets detailed in the documentation.
Microsoft open sources Retina
We released Retina as an open-source repository that helps with DevOps and SecOps related networking cases for your Kubernetes clusters. Retina is a cloud-agnostic, open-source Kubernetes Network Observability platform which helps with DevOps, SecOps and compliance use cases. It provides a centralized hub for monitoring application and network health and security, catering to Cluster Network Administrators, Cluster Security Administrators and DevOps Engineers. To learn more, visit our Retina page and read the announcement blog.
Linux and open source events
The last few months have been a busy time for events! Microsoft was speaking and attending events across the world, including FOSDEM, SCaLE 21x (Microsoft was a Gold sponsor), WASM I/O, Cloud Native Rejekts, and KubeCon Europe. Check out Brendan Burns’ blog to learn more about important enhancements and innovations in Azure, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and our open-source projects. You’ll also find us at more events soon, we hope to see you there!
What’s coming up next
Open Source Summit North America (April 16-18)
Join Microsoft at Open Source North America in Seattle! Come meet us at booth P6 to connect with Microsoft experts and see the latest open-source technologies in action. Also, be sure to check out all the exciting Microsoft sessions to learn more about Microsoft’s contributions to the open source community, best practices for using open source technologies, and insights into emerging trends in open source. Read this blog to learn more.
LinuxFest Northwest (April 26-28)
Attending LinuxFest Northwest? Be sure to check out the session from Sudhanva Huruli, Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, who will share learnings from releasing Azure Linux, Microsoft’s open source Linux distribution.
Red Hat Summit (May 6-9)
Microsoft will be a Platinum sponsor at Red Hat Summit, which is taking place in Denver, Colorado on May 6-9. Visit the us at booth #202 to connect with experts and attend the Microsoft sessions to discover best practices for running Red Hat workloads on Azure.
Upcoming End of Life (EOL), End of Support (ES), and/or End of Maintenance (EOM)
CentOS Linux 7: CentOS 7 will reach EOL on June 30, 2024. Customers will need to migrate to a new operating system to continue receiving updates, security patches, and new features. Read the documentation for CentOS migration options and paths in Azure.
RHEL 7:RHEL 7 will reach EOM on June 30, 2024. Customers will need to upgrade to a newer version of RHEL or purchase Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) from Red Hat to continue to receive security updates and bug fixes. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of RHEL if possible to take full advantage of new features, ongoing support and more.
RHEL 6:RHEL 6 Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) will end on June 30,2024. Customers will need to migrate to a newer version of RHEL to take full advantage of new features, security enhancements, bug fixes, ongoing support and more.
Are you currently using CentOS and looking to migrate to a new operating system on Azure? Watch the on-demand webinar on navigating the end of CentOS with Ubuntu on Azure.
Did you know you can use Inspektor Gadget on AKS clusters via VS Code? Check out the demo here.
If you have any feedback or questions, please drop them in the comments.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
With more than 800,000 organizations depending on Microsoft Entra to navigate the constantly evolving identity and network access threat landscape, the need for increased transparency regarding product updates — particularly changes you may need to take action on — is critical.
Today, I’m thrilled to announce the public preview of What’s New in Microsoft Entra. This new hub in the Microsoft Entra admin center offers you a centralized view of our roadmap and change announcements across the Microsoft Entra identity and network access portfolio. In this article, I’ll show you how admins can get the most from what’s new to stay informed about Entra product updates and actionable insights.
Discover what’s new in the Microsoft Entra admin center
Because you’ll want visibility to product updates often, we’ve added what’s new to the top section of the Microsoft Entra admin center navigation pane.
Figure 1: What’s new is available from the top of the navigation pane in the Microsoft Entra admin center.
What’s new is not available in Azure portal, so we encourage you to migrate to the Microsoft Entra admin center if you haven’t already. It’s a great way to manage and gain cohesive visibility across all the identity and network access solutions.
Overview of what’s new functionality
What’s new offers a consolidated view of Microsoft Entra product updates categorized as Roadmap and Change announcements. The Roadmap tab includes public previews and recent general availability releases, while Change announcements detail modifications to existing features.
Highlights tab
To make your life easier, the Highlights tab summarizes important product launches and impactful changes.
Figure 2: The highlights tab of what’s new is a quick overview of key product launches and impactful changes.
Clicking through the items on the highlights tab allows you to get details and links to documentation to configure policies.
Figure 3: Click View details to learn more about an announcement.
Roadmap tab
The Roadmap tab allows you to explore the specifics of public previews and recent general availability releases.
Figure 4: The Roadmap tab lists the current public preview and recent general availability releases.
To know more, you can click on a title for details of that release. Click ‘Learn more’ to open the related documentation.
Figure 5: Learn more about an announcement by clicking its title.
Change Announcements tab
Change announcements include upcoming breaking changes, deprecations, retirements, UX changes and features becoming Microsoft-managed.
Figure 6: Change announcements tab displays changes to the existing features.
You can customize your view according to your preferences, by sorting or by applying filters to prepare a change implementation plan.
Figure 7: Apply filters, sort by columns to create a customized view.
What’s next?
We’ll continue to extend this transparency into Entra product updates and look forward to elevating your experience to new heights. We would love to hear your feedback on this new capability, as well as what would be most useful to you. Explore what’s new in Microsoft Entra now.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
In an era where service management is increasingly complex, the integration of core business functions has become critical. Fragmented systems can lead to a cascade of issues—inefficient scheduling, delayed invoicing, and a decline in customer satisfaction. Today we are thrilled to announce the general availability of the native integration between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Dynamics 365 Business Central. This integration equips organizations with a comprehensive approach that harmonizes service delivery with financials, resources, and inventory management. It also equips frontline workers with modern tools, ensuring exceptional service from the outset. Let’s explore the advantages that this seamless integration provides.
Bridging the gap between Field Service and ERP systems
The division between Field Service and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems has long presented significant challenges, including:
Lack of financial visibility: Without integration, businesses struggle to understand job costs and profitability, leaving their financial health in the dark.
Inefficient scheduling: Siloed systems lead to inefficient scheduling of technicians, resulting in lost time and resources.
Delayed invoicing: Manual processes and disconnected systems often cause delays in invoicing and payments, leading to cash flow disruptions.
Data inconsistencies: Inconsistent data across systems creates errors and confusion, impacting decision-making.
Costly and slow integrations: System integrations can be expensive and time-consuming, leading to slow time to value and ongoing maintenance cost.
The integration between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Dynamics 365 Business Central directly addresses these challenges by providing:
Real-time visibility: Through comprehensive integration from front-line operations to back-office functions, organizations gain immediate visibility into all aspects of their operations, including finances, inventory, and resource management.
Improved scheduling: With Copilot-assisted scheduling in Field Service dispatchers can match the right technician to the right job at the right time.
Streamlined financial operations: Automated billing and invoicing not only accelerate the payment cycle, improving cash flow management, but also reduce errors, enhancing overall profitability, and transforming every work order into an opportunity for growth.
Empowered frontline workers: Access to a modern mobile app empowers frontline workers to see their work on the go, access it offline, and make updates while on the job – providing more accurate data for the back office.
Fast and cost-effective integration: This out-of-the-box integration reduces the cost and time associated with traditional integrations, leading to quicker time to value and less ongoing maintenance cost.
Key Capabilities
The integration between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Dynamics 365 Business Central not only addresses existing challenges but also enables new opportunities for businesses to enhance efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, and drive growth. Key capabilities include:
Data synchronization: Ensures a single source of truth by synchronizing key data between the two systems.
Product inventory and pricing: Business Central provides the inventory data and price lists for Field Service, which helps with accurate work order creation and product usage tracking. When products are used, the inventory levels are automatically adjusted.
Projects and Accounts: Work Orders are seamlessly synced with Business Central Projects and Customer Accounts, ensuring precise project tracking and customer billing.
Resources: Resources are automatically synced, enabling invoicing based on resource usage and rates established in Business Central for Work Order services.
Accurate invoicing through automation: Automates the syncing of field activities with Business Central, minimizing manual effort and errors. Organizations have control over when information is synced, and can choose to post project journals manually or automatically upon Work Order completion.
Efficient scheduling for dispatchers: Simplifies technician scheduling by suggesting the right resource based on availability, skills, and distance to the job site using Copilot-enabled scheduling capabilities in Field Service.
Mobile access for frontline workers: Empowers technicians with the Field Service Mobile app, providing access to necessary information on the go, even in remote offline areas. Features like Inspections, Guides, and Remote Assist enhance technician capabilities.
Comprehensive reports and analytics for service managers: Comprehensive data leads to comprehensive reporting. Organizations can access information on service delivery, financials, and inventory, allowing for improved business decision making.
Call to action
The integration between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Dynamics 365 Business Central is a deliberate stride towards operational coherence and efficiency. Companies that adopt this integrated solution stand to witness an increase in operational productivity, revenue growth, and customer satisfaction metrics. Transform your operations today and unlock new growth opportunities with Dynamics 365 Field Service and Business Central integration.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Unleashing Your Potential with Cloud Ready Skills
Are you a student or professional looking to enhance your technical skills?
Are you looking to kickstart your employability & take part in some friendly rivalry against other students?
Register for the University AI Cloud Challenge 2024 for your Microsoft Professional certification in AI whilst competing with other university students to gain top spot on our leaderboard and win prizes!
What: University Cloud Challenge ’24 UK & Spain AI Edition
Where: Online any student from UK or Spain based University or College
When: Live Webinar kick off session 2pm GMT 15th of April 2024 (available on demand after the 15th)
FREE exam for the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals certification (AI-900)
Note: Exams to be taken between 15th April and 14th of May 2024
Help your university win the University AI Cloud Challenge!
Join the University AI Cloud Challenge 2024 and unlock your potential with cloud-ready skills. Gain a Microsoft Professional certification in AI, compete with students across the UK and Spain, and win exciting prizes. Register now to access our live webinar, free practice assessment, and free AI-900 exam. Help your university top our leaderboard and become the 2024 Student Learning Champion. Register, learn, and certify at no cost. Start your cloud journey today.
The race is on to find the 2024 champion Student Learning Campions for UK and Spain. Students Register, learn and certify at no cost!
University Leaderboard: You can view the current leaderboard here: (coming soon, after the first live webinar)
Scoring
Your university will score points for your activity. Points will be awarded as follows:
Student Registration 1 point
Student attends webinar 10 points
Student access Microsoft Learn 10 points
Student completed AI-900 exam – actual exam score converted to points (out of 1000)
Prizes
The University AI Cloud Challenge 2024 award will be presented to the university which scores the highest total score for all of their students that compete.
A box of Microsoft branded ‘swag’ will also be issued to the top 3 scoring universities.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Our goal is to support our customers’ needs, wherever they might be. To this end, we’re introducing the Surface API Management Service, aimed at simplifying how you access information about your devices, coverage and insights.
Extend Surface Management Portal
This service builds on the familiar Surface Management Portal, enabling IT admins to directly access Microsoft coverage and entitlement information for their devices via API endpoints. It’s a practical enhancement for those already using the portal, designed to make device management more straightforward.
The service at a glance
The Surface API Management Service is an API management system that allows you to gain access to APIs that provide you with information about your devices.
These APIs serve as a direct conduit for customers seeking to streamline their asset management processes. By seamlessly connecting to the API, IT admins gain immediate access to critical device and warranty information, essential for effective asset oversight. Tailored specifically for Surface customers, this integration offers a hassle-free solution, eliminating the need for convoluted data acquisition methods. Now, with the simple integration of this API, customers can quickly retrieve pertinent details, empowering organizations to make informed decisions and optimize their asset management strategies.
Our first launch experience will allow current Surface Management Portal users to get their Microsoft coverage and entitlement information for their devices directly through API endpoints. Through our portal you can also see more of the performance and usage of the APIs across the globe with Surface API Management Service Reports.
Get access to Surface API Management Services
To access, you need an active Surface Management Portal Account and a completed customer validation check. (If you have access to create service requests within Surface Management Portal you have been approved.)
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
I was recently working with a customer who is using Azure AD B2C API Connector to enrich tokens with claims from external sources. They are using Azure Function App as the external source. As this setup demands, they exposed Azure Function App over public IP to work with B2C. But due to enterprise security restriction policy they must remove public endpoint from Function App and use private endpoints to VNET.
Initially I investigated on the error messages collected at the B2C, and APIM or Azure Application Gateway end. But later realized the main source of problem lies somewhere else. It is the ASP.NET Core framework used in building the Function App.
We need to modify default FowardedHeaders middleware settings. Otherwise, it will ignore the X-Forwarded headers being sent by APIM or Application Gateway because it isn’t in the list of KnownProxies and KnownNetworks. Please see the following links to understand the concept better:
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Today, we’re announcing the first pricing update for Microsoft Dynamics 365 in more than five years. Since our last pricing update, Dynamics 365 has transformed customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes with connected applications across lines of business—from marketing, sales, customer and field service, to finance, operations, and supply chain—and each year, we release hundreds of new features and enhancements designed to help people work smarter, reclaim time, and collaborate seamlessly. You can read the official Dynamics 365 blog post here.
Below is the list of products for which prices are being updated with effect from October 1, 20241:
Product
Price before October 1, 2024
Price as of October 1, 20242
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise
$95
$105
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Device
$145
$160
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Premium
$135
$150
Microsoft Microsoft Relationship Sales3
$162
$177
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise
$95
$105
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Device
$145
$160
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service
$95
$105
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Device
$145
$160
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance
$180
$210
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management
$180
$210
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce
$180
$210
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources
$120
$135
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations
$120
$135
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Operations – Device
$75
$85
Prices for Dynamics 365 on-premises customer engagement and operations products will increase by the same percentage as the respective cloud versions. Pricing for cloud products not listed above, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, will remain unchanged.
These increases will apply globally to new and existing customers (upon renewal as of October 1, 2024), and the products will be priced comparably in other currencies. To comply with local regulations, US government list prices for the same products will increase by 10% effective October 1, 2024, followed by another smaller increase effective October 1, 2025, to bring parity with commercial pricing outlined above.
1 All prices are per user per month (or per device per month where noted). 2 Prices shown are for informational purposes only and may not be reflective of actual list price due to currency, country, region, and variant factors. Contact a Microsoft sales representative for additional information on pricing. 3 Pricing per user per month will increase by $15 in all tiers in Microsoft Relationship Sales. Only 10-99 user tier shown for simplicity.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Today, we’re announcing the first pricing update for Microsoft Dynamics 365 in more than five years. Since our last pricing update, Dynamics 365 has transformed customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes with connected applications across lines of business—from marketing, sales, customer and field service, to finance, operations, and supply chain—and each year, we release hundreds of new features and enhancements designed to help people work smarter, reclaim time, and collaborate seamlessly.
While a lot has changed in the world in the last five years, our vision has stayed true: ensuring the Dynamics 365 experience helps organizations adapt to change and proactively transform their business. We have delivered on this through innovations that have helped organizations supercharge customer experiences with AI-powered, real-time customer insights for marketers, sellers, and service agents; as well as by optimizing operations and mission-critical processes with data insights, supply chain visibility, and end-to-end automation of financial processes. And today, we are seeing organizations of all sizes across industries benefit from Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365.
As we look ahead, our commitment to our customers is to continue to offer the most value and highest return on your investment in business applications, helping to fuel digital transformation.
The price changes will be effective October 1, 2024, and the products will be priced comparably across different currencies. The full list of Dynamics 365 products for which prices are being updated can be found here. Cloud pricing for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central will remain unchanged.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Today, we’re announcing the first pricing update for Microsoft Dynamics 365 in more than five years. Since our last pricing update, Dynamics 365 has transformed customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes with connected applications across lines of business—from marketing, sales, customer and field service, to finance, operations, and supply chain—and each year, we release hundreds of new features and enhancements designed to help people work smarter, reclaim time, and collaborate seamlessly. You can read the official Dynamics 365 blog post here.
Below is the list of products for which prices are being updated with effect from October 1, 20241:
Product
Price before October 1, 2024
Price as of October 1, 20242
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise
$95
$105
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Device
$145
$160
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Premium
$135
$150
Microsoft Microsoft Relationship Sales3
$162
$177
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise
$95
$105
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Device
$145
$160
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service
$95
$105
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Device
$145
$160
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance
$180
$210
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management
$180
$210
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce
$180
$210
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources
$120
$135
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Project Operations
$120
$135
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Operations – Device
$75
$85
Prices for Dynamics 365 on-premises customer engagement and operations products will increase by the same percentage as the respective cloud versions. Pricing for cloud products not listed above, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, will remain unchanged.
These increases will apply globally to new and existing customers (upon renewal as of October 1, 2024), and the products will be priced comparably in other currencies. To comply with local regulations, US government list prices for the same products will increase by 10% effective October 1, 2024, followed by another smaller increase effective October 1, 2025, to bring parity with commercial pricing outlined above.
1 All prices are per user per month (or per device per month where noted). 2 Prices shown are for informational purposes only and may not be reflective of actual list price due to currency, country, region, and variant factors. Contact a Microsoft sales representative for additional information on pricing. 3 Pricing per user per month will increase by $15 in all tiers in Microsoft Relationship Sales. Only 10-99 user tier shown for simplicity.
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
One of the biggest takeaways is that AI reinvention is a whole new way of working that involves both software and culture. It’s a cultural shift. Microsoft Viva empowers leaders and organizations to make that shift. We’re excited to announce new capabilities to help drive enterprise-wide adoption of Copilot, including the general availability of Microsoft Copilot Dashboard and Microsoft Copilot Academy, powered by Viva, which will be available to all Copilot for Microsoft 365 customers.
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